The Recruiter
by rh-fntc
Summary: This was her job...
1. Prologue: Secrets

**The Recruiter**

Prologue

_Secrets_

"I see darkness in you." Chloe Sullivan declared.

The blonde young woman was standing by the door frame, seemingly torn between entering the office completely and staying within the reach of the reception area.

"I'm not sure how to respond to that." Bruce Wayne, Gotham City's favored son, looked at her through hooded eyes.

Their association was relatively new. Bruce was at yet another black tie event. Chloe was covering the event for the Gotham Gazette. By some force of nature the two came together and eventually agreed to go out to dinner.

Tonight was supposed to be their third date, a rare occurrence for Bruce, who had the reputation for changing women on a daily basis. He was supposed to pick Chloe up from her home. But for some strange reason Chloe seemed intent to thwart his plan and informed him that there was darkness in him.

"I know who you are Bruce Wayne." Chloe said cryptically as she finally made up her mind and entered the office completely.

Bruce' brow rose at her pronouncement. "And you wouldn't be the only one. I would have to go a thousand miles from Gotham before someone stopped recognizing me. And even that is not a guarantee." Bruce grinned charmingly. Internally he was on high alert. Chloe's statements were not being taken lightly. "My lifestyle seems to attract a lot of media attention." He uttered self-deprecatingly.

Chloe just smiled good-naturedly before allowing her gaze to roam around the office. "How secure is this place?" She asked as she turned her attention back on Bruce.

Bruce looked at her blankly. A beat passed before he answered. "Wayne Enterprises house a state of the art security system." He said nonchalantly.

"Do you check for bugs often?" She asked with such interest.

He remained quiet. He was not about to tell her that every day he came into the office he would check for himself if his surroundings were secure.

She shrugged when he failed to answer. "I'll take your silence as a yes then." She grinned at him. "I just wanted to be sure." She murmured quietly as she advanced towards him, stopping once she was standing in front of him.

Bruce watched her every move, wondering what her endgame was. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and stood on her tiptoes. He could feel her every breath against his neck and he wondered what she was going to do.

On one hand she might kiss him, something that they had not done despite the two dates that they'd been on. On the other, she might do something completely the opposite, maybe this was an attempt by his competitors (corporate and others) to get rid of him.

Chloe's hand wandered up against Bruce's suit and stopped against his right rib. She looked up at him as she gently applied pressure against his side.

Bruce managed to hide the pain as she hit his bruised ribs, an injury that he acquired the night before. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes searchingly.

"Still sore, Batman?" She asked quietly.

TBC


	2. I'll Show you Mine

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews, I truly appreciate it. I almost didn't bother with this story but I loved Batman Begins and after watching the Dark Knight, well this was the product. You guys will probably have questions, most of them will be answered as this story progresses. But feel free to ask those questions so I can incorporate the ones that I haven't thought of. Again thanks for the reviews and this one is for Diane, Christian Bale is just awesome as Batman and truly drool worthy!

**The Recruiter**

Chapter 1

_I'll Show You Mine_

Bruce Wayne was slightly stupefied.

Despite the fact that he barely knew her, thorough background check notwithstanding, Chloe Sullivan somehow managed to unravel the biggest secret in his life. It was not surprising that she succeeded. She was an amazingly intelligent young woman, who coincidentally was an investigative journalist. The shock that he felt was not entirely unfounded; then again he couldn't help but compare her to Rachel. Rachel Dawes had to hear her own words come from his mouth before she figured out his nightly proclivities. And Chloe hadn't had any run-ins with Batman.

Bruce Wayne was the mask, the act. That was what Rachel told him. And so he called all his acting powers to try and deal with the situation at hand.

He raised Chloe's hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. "Chloe, you are an incredibly smart woman. But there is no way that I am the Batman." He said with a light smile.

Chloe snatched her hand away impatiently. "Do not insult my incredible intelligence." She retorted archly.

"I am not." He shook his head emphatically. "But still, consider your claim. Me, as the Batman? I'm afraid I am not at all altruistic to put my life on the line, for anyone." He gave her a pointed look.

Chloe smiled slightly. "Let's not forget, I am a reporter from the Daily Planet. I don't usually make any claims unless they are fully substantiated. Shall I give you a list of my evidence?" She looked at him expectantly.

Bruce chuckled. "I don't believe it would change my answer to your accusation."

"From claim to accusation? Now, you're just pissing me off." Chloe replied playfully. "Just indulge me then."

He was curious. But to indulge in his curiosity might give everything away; he still had to protect his secret. And yet there did not seem to be any other options for him. Chloe seemed less inclined to steer away from the current direction of their conversation. "I am not Batman, I am not some masked vigilante who puts on a costume and goes out into the night, scaring people into their own homes." He tried for the last time.

"Bruce, by the time I am through, you won't be able to say those words." She said simply.

Bruce took a deep breath, she was determined. And if his file on her was accurate, there was no way he could dissuade her from continuing with the discussion. He folded his arms across his chest and gave her an expectant look.

"Three things actually led me to my conclusion." She was practically beaming as she began. "First of all, your timing." Chloe rolled her eyes. "I don't know how people cannot see that you and Batman are connected. You disappear from the world and then you just magically reappear again. And at the same time the Batman emerges. You heroes are all the same." She smiled slightly.

His brow rose at her words. Was it possible that she knew others like him? He was not exactly sure how he felt about her declaration. And despite the fact that he was only just building his image again from the catastrophe that was the Joker and Harvey Dent, she still somehow linked him along the lines of a hero rather than the much more popular view of him as a villain.

"I got to tell you, your timing kind of sucked. You should have waited longer, or maybe came out as Batman earlier. Then again I don't blame you for getting to work as soon as you came back to Gotham, waiting wouldn't have been heroic." She looked at him like she definitely approved, even if she just criticized his 'timing.' "Anyway, then there's your gear." She ticked off the second point to her argument.

Bruce managed to remain stoic, inside though his heart was pounding faster. He and Alfred had gone through lengths to keep the companies that supplied him the parts of his costume from ever being linked to him and Wayne Enterprises. They had to use numerous satellite companies for each painstaking piece of his equipment. He had a hard time believing that she managed to track all those companies down and came up with the idea that he was the Batman.

"It certainly wasn't an easy task." Chloe said, pride lacing her entire voice, as she walked towards the chair across his desk and sat down with such grace.

He watched her as she made her way to the chair and remained standing in the middle of the room as she dissected his every secret.

"I can hack my way into any mainframe, like that," She snapped her fingers. "But I have to admit, it took me a while to track all those companies that supplied your gear, down to those pointy ears of that cowl of yours." She admitted sheepishly. "And as we both know, I succeeded."

The corner of his lips quirked slightly at her proud expression.

She stood up from her perch and marched towards him. She practically pushed him to the couch at the corner of his office and sat him down. "I got tired of looking up at you." She murmured at his questioning gaze. She in turn sat across from him, on the coffee table. "And now for the grand finale." She uttered quietly. "Dark Knight. Batman, a hero who went off the deep end and started a killing spree. Five people dead, the hunter become the hunted."

Bruce remembered. There was no way he could forget that year, the year that ended the life of the woman he loved, the year that he thought he could actually take off the mask and watch as Gotham transformed itself under the guidance of Harvey. All for naught. And to top it all off, Batman became the very definition of an antagonist. It was a choice he made and that was all there was to it.

Chloe placed a gentle hand on top of his. "I knew it wasn't you." She said softly.

Bruce allowed their fingers to intertwine as he watched her, mesmerized.

"He lacked conviction." She declared, looking everywhere but him.

His brows furrowed at her statement but he kept quiet.

She finally looked up and met his gaze fully. "Commissioner Gordon, when he said that you committed those crimes, he didn't seem to believe it himself. I watched those interviews and it was like he was trying to convince everyone, but he knew he was lying."

A thoughtful silence followed.

"I couldn't believe it myself." Chloe murmured almost to herself. "I didn't believe it. So I started this," She waved her free hand in his direction. "I knew there was something more to the story and so I dug deeper."

There was something infinitely compelling about Chloe and the way she told her story. Bruce felt like he was listening in on a confession. There was reverence in her voice and it made Bruce wonder what she truly thought about him, about Batman.

"It felt like a game, at least in the beginning. I wanted to prove the world wrong but somehow along the way, it changed. I…for lack of a better term, believed in what Batman…you were doing, for this city." She disentangled her hand from his and got up. She treaded slowly towards the windows that overlooked the city and stared at Gotham in all its nightly glory. "Gotham was in such a bad shape, everyone I know tried hard to keep me from moving here." She turned back to face him and gave him a small smile.

"But you, despite your unorthodox ways, changed that. You were the driving force behind Harvey Dent. That made everything that happened after unbelievable to me." Chloe went back to staring at the city. "I understand though. Why you had to take the fall for what he did." She remained quiet afterward.

Bruce got up from the couch and joined her in front of the windows.

"Joker took what you think represented the very best of Gotham and brought him down to his level. Revealing what Harvey did, it would have snuffed out the hope inside the hearts of the people of this city. That they could be better, that they deserved better." Chloe whispered achingly as she continued to stare into the night.

In that moment he knew. Chloe Sullivan, Pulitzer Prize nominee, investigative reporter extraordinaire, had no intention of revealing his secret to the world. Her words were loaded with such compassion, with such admiration for what he did, was doing as Batman, that he could not imagine that she was there just to make an exclusive.

"You are the hero that Gotham deserves." Chloe finally turned to look at him. She looked up into his eyes and said the words with such certainty.

His eyes lowered at her declaration. A part of him did not believe her. For a while it felt like things would change in Gotham, his presence as Batman seemed to trigger the change. But ever since he allowed himself to be publicly prosecuted for the deaths that resulted from Dent's rage, it became harder to combat all the crimes that laced the city like an infection. The people of his city did not trust him for a long while, still don't trust him. And yet he endured, just like Alfred told him to do, because he believed in Gotham and its citizens.

"But you can't do it alone." Chloe closed the distance between them and looked into his eyes searchingly. "Batman may be a hero but he still is just a man. And sometimes it takes more than one to inspire change."

He frowned slightly.

Chloe raised a placating hand at his expression. "I am not criticizing your methods, or your go-at-it-alone policy. But you have to know that there are…likeminded individuals out there, who can lend a helping hand."

"Gotham is my city." Bruce growled out. His words were Batman's words, not Bruce Wayne's.

Her eyes widened as she gasped at his declaration. His gaze remained on her as she seemed immobilized by his change of heart. He knew that he just confirmed her claims. Her hazel eyes shone brightly and she was practically glowing. It was an unusual reaction; he thought she would be a little frightened at his use of his Batman persona.

She gave him what he could only describe as a megawatt smile.

"Did I say anything amusing?" He asked coolly.

She shook her head in reply. "As I said, there are likeminded individuals out there. I happen to know a number of them. And what you just said, it's a common line that I hear from them." She smiled her bright smile.

His brow rose at that. It didn't escape his attention when she said it the first time. He recalled from her file that she was offered the Superman beat only she turned it down. The beat went to her cousin instead, Lois Lane. He did wonder why she refused such a high profile story. Was it possible that she knew who the real Superman was? It was a ludicrous thought, that someone like Superman would let a journalist know his real identity. Despite his openness with Ms. Lane, there was a hint of reservation from the hero.

Chloe's expression turned from joyful to serious at a drop of a hat. "I know that. I get that you can be territorial with your city and no one is looking to take that away from you." She said with all gravity. "But sometimes…even heroes' need saving too."

Bruce turned away from her gaze. She said the words with such earnestness. And the way she said it, it felt like she knew exactly what she was saying, as though she had been in the same situation before. He was still unsure of what her endgame was, but it was starting to take form in his mind.

"These likeminded people I was talking about," Chloe began, for the first time seemingly uncertain. "They have worked beyond their own cities before…" She trailed off, as though she completely expected him to follow her line of thinking.

Bruce just looked at her blankly.

She rolled her eyes at his inability to read her mind. "Okay, those heroes I know, well they all work together when the villains of the story cross the borders, so I figured you can, oh I don't know maybe join them in fighting the good fight." Her hand formed a fist and pumped it in the air for the full effect.

He remained quiet.

"It's not like you haven't done the same before. The fact that you were in Hong Kong was not exactly kept under wraps." She gave him a pointed look.

"So basically, you're recruiting me for a ragtag team of…likeminded individuals, to borrow your phrase." Bruce gave her a skeptical look in return.

"Ragtag." Chloe scoffed at his choice of words. "You are Bruce Wayne; I don't think you ever approached ragtag in your life."

"You'd be surprised." Bruce muttered almost to himself.

"Then again you did spend that time in China doing only Lord knows what." Chloe gave him a knowing smile.

Bruce found himself shaking his head at her reply. What did this woman not know about him? And he had a feeling that his supposedly thorough background check might be missing a few details about her. "How big is your file on me?" He asked in a slightly amused tone.

"You don't want to know." Chloe grinned at him. "I am very thorough." She added at the rise of his brow.

The two of them stared at each other and something indefinable seemingly passed between them.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Just think about it. Take your time." She reached for her purse that was on his desk and dug into it. She smiled triumphantly when she apparently found what she was looking for. "This will be the way to reach me, when you finally make your decision."

Bruce accepted the calling card: Watchtower, underneath the word was numbers. His mind was already working overtime on how to use this card and what actions must be taken in order to fully get a better grasp on the things that Chloe just told him. Perhaps he could track down where the number lead to. He had to verify the validity of her claims. His background check was a bust; then again he didn't make the inquiries himself. The firm that he used was the one who always checked up on women he dated or those he planned to date. He never imagined that Chloe would be involved in some sort of heroic endeavors. He had to admit that he admired her for it and yet there was still a prickle of unease. The only people who knew of his alter ego were people he trusted implicitly. Chloe did not seem untrustworthy. Still he preferred to have everything unraveled in his terms.

"Don't bother trying to track down where that number is from. I took extreme precautions." Chloe said smilingly. "I have to protect my friends, the likeminded individuals." She clarified.

Bruce shook his head at her words. He wondered if she had powers, like Superman, if she was actually reading his mind. It took a beat before he realized that Chloe was looking at him uncertainly.

She gave him a weak smile. "So there's my pitch. As I said earlier, think about it. In the meantime…" Chloe bit her lower lip, as though unsure of what she was about to say next. "I don't think we should do this for a while." She gestured between the two of them.

Bruce felt like laughing. She was basically telling him that they won't be seeing each other anymore. It was the first time that he was on the receiving end of a…it wasn't quite a break up but it strangely felt like it was.

"It'll be a conflict of interest, if we did. I'll lay low so you can think about my offer." She concluded firmly.

Bruce folded his arms across his chest. "Very well." He nodded imperceptibly.

"It's not because I don't like you." Chloe said in a rush, probably in response to his cool tone. "Because I do. I just think you need me out of the way. Just so you can think without any influence. My influence I mean."

He smirked at her. "You think your presence in my life will convince me to say yes to your proposition?" Bruce gave her a mild smile as he asked the question.

Chloe's brow rose at his words. "I can be very persuasive." She answered simply. "I'll see you around, Bruce." She shot him a flirtatious smile just before walking out of his office.

He watched her as she disappeared from his view and he couldn't help but believe her.

TBC


	3. Chloe dear, have no fear

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Dear Readers, I am fully aware of how long it's been since I last updated this fic, or any of my stories for that matter. For which, I am incredibly sorry. I have no excuse. I would actually prefer to keep updating my fics regularly, but the truth is I simply have no time. This fourth of July weekend was the one opening for me, to be able to write again. Hopefully, I'll be presented with more time to write. I do promise that I will not simply abandon my stories. No matter how long it takes, I will finish all of them, even the ones I have not even started yet. Once again, I would like to extend my humblest apologies, especially to every one who took the time to read and review this story. I've babbled on. You guys probably want to get to reading, very well, on with the story...

**The Recruiter**

Chapter 3

_Chloe dear, have no fear_

The annual charity luncheon that the Gotham Psychiatric Foundation threw was usually much low key. In fact, no one of significance ever attended the function. At least that was the view of most of the publications in the city. No one ever covered the event and the amount of money that the charity managed to get a hold of was not enough to make a sufficient impact.

Until Bruce Wayne discovered the cause.

It was originally a luncheon. But the moment that Bruce discovered the charity, well it went from a typical lunch, composed of a limited number of attendees, to a full blown gala.

It was a simple act really. He mentioned the charity in passing during a board meeting. He commented on the admirable work that the foundation was doing. How admirable GPF was in trying to accumulate enough funds to start construction for an alternative place for people with mental needs, he said. Arkham Asylum was clearly no place for individuals who were suffering from psychological problems, who were not criminals. He concluded by expressing interest in attending the luncheon.

And that was it. The Gotham high society followed his lead like he expected. The organizers of the event were of course flabbergasted and actually ill-equipped to deal with the interest of Gotham's finest. So Bruce sent some…assistance their way. And the direct result was a charity ball of massive proportions, something that would ensure the foundation's success for decades.

To think that his interest was what propelled the foundation to the forefront of the minds of the rich and idle. He effectively gave them yet another cause to focus their often frivolous existence on.

And the foundation had Chloe Sullivan to thank for such great interest.

Ever since she informed him that she knew his secret, issued the invitation to some group that she was a part of and informed him that she was going to make herself scarce, well he found himself thinking of her more and more, which actually defeated the entire point of her decision. He was supposed to be seriously considering her offer but he was driven more towards the idea of digging through her past more.

And he couldn't help but feel the slightest frustration at the fact that he couldn't get more information on her. Sure, he knew that she was married when she was twenty-one. A marriage that lasted for about two seconds before it crumbled into a million pieces. His file on her did not include any reason for the divorce other than the run of the mill, irreconcilable differences.

He also knew of the time that she was exiled from the Daily Planet and tried her hand in helping people with supposed 'meteor infections' through some foundation. She did not have much success and somehow she ended up back in journalism. He had no idea what happened in between. That in itself should have triggered his mental alarm system. For someone who was considerably well known, the woman knew how to keep her secrets.

The doors to the ball opened the moment he stepped into the hotel. And as per usual, the guests went quiet and watched his every move. Bruce was surrounded by a number of women as his dates.

He and Chloe provided a lot of material for gossip columnist since they stopped seeing each other. Entertainment magazines were speculating on the 'split,' which could not be really called a split since they never went beyond two dates. But apparently those two dates were already one date too many in Bruce Wayne standards. Chloe's absence in Gotham for so many days fueled the fire even more.

Bruce nodded and smiled at the many people who were expressing their greetings to him, all the while seeking the one person he wanted to see.

She was standing right next to James Gordon, who was clearly enjoying her company. They were not even looking at the source of the commotion, the two seemed used to the rich and how they tend to clamor around him that neither turned to actually look at him.

And Bruce could not help but admit that he felt slighted. But of course his outward appearance showed none of his emotions. He smiled and greeted everyone who sought his attention. He was the epitome of the dashing billionaire. After all he did say that what GPF was doing a worthy cause and he truly believed in it. Even if the knowledge came from his investigation of one Chloe Sullivan.

* * *

Chloe Sullivan watched as Bruce circulated around the ballroom. She smiled in slight amusement as she once again took in her surroundings.

It was supposed to be just a luncheon, in an entirely different location, in a smaller scale. The amount the foundation raised would be just enough to counsel those with mental problems. They had hoped that over time they would collect enough funds to start construction for an institution that would help individuals who had advanced psychiatric diagnosis.

She went to California for a few days and when she returned, the charity that she joined over the course of her stay in Gotham just became…something bigger. When she first found out, she was a little annoyed. She didn't like the idea of Bruce Wayne interfering with her affairs just because he felt entitled to any information that he managed to gather about her. But then she spoke to the other members and could not help but hear the excitement in their voices. The hope that maybe they could truly make a difference in the lives of people suffering from mental disorders. She couldn't begrudge them the opportunity. After all she was a fierce advocate for such people.

And so she went without confronting Bruce for what he had done. She assumed that he expected her to barge into his manor and demand that he left her alone, while he took the time to decide if he was going to join the league.

She watched him from her periphery as he mingled with Gotham's elite. He exuded the charm and elegance that he was reputed for. Every so often she saw his gaze drift towards her direction. She had a feeling that he was working his way towards her. But of course, society dictated that he greeted everyone according to some unspoken hierarchy; suffice to say she wasn't at the highest post on the totem pole. And she actually did not care too much about such trivial pursuits.

She focused back to her conversation with Commissioner Gordon, who was regaling her with his own experiences in fundraisers with the rich and famous. The man was not like anyone she had ever known. He started from such humble beginnings and now he was at the top. It was interesting to see a man in his position who was in no way trying to placate anyone. His interest was always for the good of Gotham.

Before she knew it Bruce was standing in front of them. She kept up with her conversation with Commissioner Gordon, pointedly ignoring the man. Unfortunately for her, James Gordon was too courteous.

"Mr. Wayne." Gordon spoke up, ignorant of the reason why there was suddenly tension between the billionaire in front of him and the young woman beside him.

"Commissioner. Ms. Sullivan." Bruce held out his hand to the man, which the official shook promptly, Chloe merely nodded in return. "Are you enjoying tonight's festivities?" He inquired politely.

"Of course." James replied in the same tone. He had a feeling that Bruce Wayne wanted to be alone with Chloe Sullivan. Typically, he was not the type of man who would bow to the whims of someone just because that person happened to be rich, powerful and influential. But there was something in Wayne's eyes that vividly expressed mischief and a hint of the sincerest desire to be alone with the woman next to him. Something on his far left caught his eye. He gave the company he was in a sheepish smile. "I do believe I am being summoned." He nodded towards the direction of the mayor. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." Wayne nodded conciliatorily.

"Duty calls I suppose." Chloe smiled at him brightly.

James spared them one last look before leaving.

The two of them watched as James Gordon disappeared from their view.

Bruce watched Chloe from the corner of his eye. She did not appear to be nervous at his approach at all. And unlike other women, she was not clamoring for his attention. Those characteristics alone were enough to attract him in the first place. Her revelations just sparked such attractions to an even higher degree, the fact that she seemed to be driven by much of the same things that propelled him to becoming the guardian of his city.

"Chloe." He turned back to the woman that occupied his mind.

"Bruce." She replied cheekily.

"You look beautiful." His words were murmured quietly as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a simple black dress that fell to her knees. She looked incredibly elegant with only emeralds adorning her ears for jewelry. It simply exuded the notion that she had no intention of competing with other women in the ballroom, most of whom were wearing jewelry upon jewelry to show off their status.

Chloe granted him the smallest of smiles. She could sense that he was being careful with his words. She had a feeling that it was not the first time he uttered them tonight, but the warmth in his blue eyes was enough to convey his sincerity.

The rest of the crowd seemed to quiet down a bit to hear their exchange. It was not surprising. The people of Gotham were incredibly curious when she and Bruce started going out. The fact that she lasted all two, well three technically sparked much debate and envy from Gotham's elite. She could tell that the mood in the room was buzzing with curiosity, about what drove her away for a week, a week away from Bruce Wayne. "And you look debonair, as always." She declared with a grin.

Bruce' brow rose at the compliment. "Do I?" He gave her a teasing smile.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I never pegged you as a seeker of compliments. Do you need an ego boost?" She leaned forward towards him and whispered the question, as though her words were not meant for other people's ears.

Bruce closed the remaining distance between them, much to the dismay of the numerous women in the event, at which point the crowd seemed to reach a unanimous decision that Chloe had won Bruce Wayne, if only for the night. "In your presence I believe that I am in constant need of an ego boost." He whispered as well. "You have a talent for bringing me back to earth with a mere word." He concluded quietly as he reached for two flutes of champagne from a passing server.

"You give me too much credit." Chloe remarked demurely as she accepted the proffered glass. "I need at least three words." She flashed him her megawatt grin.

The rest of the room heard Bruce Wayne laugh heartily and so set the evening's mood.

He could not deny that it was always a marvel, any time that he spent with Chloe was filled with banter and he simply enjoyed it. So it was with much effort that he saw the other guests waiting for him to resume his meet and greet. He nodded imperceptibly towards the direction of the other guests and Chloe understood immediately. "We'll have to dance, when dancing commenced of course." Bruce took her free hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it.

Chloe's eyes shone with amusement, his gallant act captured the attention of the many Gotham debutantes at the event and all seemed to give her the evil eye for being the recipient of Bruce Wayne's attentions. "Is that an order or a request?" She posed the question gaily.

Bruce smiled at her fondly. "For you Ms. Sullivan, it'll forever remain a request." He replied with an enigmatic grin before going his way.

Chloe rolled her eyes but she was not in the least bit exasperated. The smile on her face was proof positive of that fact.

* * *

Chloe was enjoying herself. Despite the fact that Bruce had yet to claim the dance he had requested earlier in the night.

She could not deny that she was drawn to him. And that perhaps the attraction was getting in the way of her original intent. But she was unused to being the one to capture the attention of the most gorgeous man around. That role was usually reserved for Lana and Lois. So the fact that Bruce Wayne was deeply interested in her, well it got to her head a little. Her plan was to tell him about her proposal on the very first time he asked her out. She just kept extending her deadline and now it was coming back to bite her.

She watched him as he danced and entertained every other woman in the ballroom. He certainly was charming. Yet his gaze seemed to always dart back to her and she tried to quash the warmth inside her.

In an attempt to gather her wits, she decided to head for the balcony. The air would probably erase the heady feeling she kept getting whenever her eyes would meet Bruce'.

The moment she stepped out, she felt better. The night was not too cold, for which she was grateful. Gotham looked dreary in the mornings, but at night, it was as though the city shone in all its glory, as if nothing would drive the city to the ground, despite all the odds stocked against it and its people.

She took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to fall for Bruce and his charming act. Chloe moved her entire life for a mission. And she was not going to anything to compromise her goal, even if an incredibly attractive man was making it hard for her to focus.

She sighed as she thought of the aftermath of this undertaking. She would need to resume her search and probably upend every notion that her boys had of her. She smiled ruefully at the thought of their reaction once they found out what she was up to.

A gust of wind brought her to the here and now. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she thought of the person responsible for ruining her coiffure.

"Hey, Chloe-"

"Who told you to come here?" She asked threateningly, effectively cutting off his greeting.

"Can't say, gorgeous." The man before her replied. "But for what it's worth, sorry." He said sheepishly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded.

She never got the answer for she was spirited away.

* * *

Bruce was kept busy by the guests, who never seemed to run out of things to say to him. He felt slightly frustrated that he had not gotten to dance with Chloe yet. And the ball was almost over.

As one woman after another waylaid him from claiming his dance with Chloe, he remained extremely aware of where she was. She danced with a number of men, the mayor and the Commissioner. And each dance was a jab at his patience. He himself was not without a partner. He dutifully danced with the women who accompanied him to the event. And then the rest of the female population seemed to have conspired not to let him come near Chloe.

He could insist on getting his way, he supposed. But a voice in his head, which sounded remarkably like Alfred, insisted that he played nice. The voice reminded him of the incident last week, when he slept through an opera and prompted a scathing review of the production from the Gotham Gazette, his 'reaction' to the play was used to justify the thrashing.

And so he continued to play nice. As the night seemed to wind down he sought out the one woman who could have made the night more tolerable. She was out in the balcony, looking out at the Gotham skylight, seemingly mesmerized by the view.

He strode purposefully towards her direction. And just as he was about to reach the doors a red figure appeared at her side, out of nowhere. His brows furrowed and he could not help but think that his mind was playing tricks on him.

Until in a blink of an eye, Chloe Sullivan simply disappeared.


	4. Resistance Isn't Futile

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Hey all! Got another update for you guys. I finally decided to take my stories one fic at a time. So I will be finishing this fic before moving onto the next. I'm going let you guys vote on which one I should do first. So if you guys have the time, go ahead and have your say. Thanks for the feedback from the last chapter. I appreciate it. You guys made me ralize that I did write a cliffie. Sorry about that. But here's the next one. There's no Chloe/Bruce interaction this time. Watch for that next chappie. For now, I bring you two uninvited guests...well three technically but details. Now on with the story...

Chapter 3

_Resistance isn't futile_

Oliver Queen knew there would be trouble the moment that Bart Allen dropped out of superspeed. And so he did what he could to prepare for the onslaught.

He looked around the penthouse to check that there were no movable objects within the area. It had been a while since he was in Metropolis. Star City had become his permanent base in the last three years. But he occasionally traveled to the Big Apricot for business, corporate and heroic alike.

Satisfied that objects would not be flying all over the place he sat comfortably on his chair behind the desk and waited. He glanced at his watch and knew that the package was due to arrive any moment.

And right on time Bart dropped out of speed and released one infuriated blonde sidekick from his arms.

There was a reason that Oliver rarely used this tactic. And it had a lot to do with the furious gaze she was shooting Bart with. He allowed himself a quiet chuckle when she started to pummel Bart with her clutch. The younger man allowed her three hits before jumping to superspeed and appearing behind his chair. It was a cheap shot but he didn't blame Bart. He was merely following orders. His orders. So trying to redirect her anger away from him was fair game really.

Oliver knew he would deserve the wrath of Chloe. He didn't like manhandling her, mainly because he respected her too much but also because it wasn't the way they worked.

"You!" She said the words with such venom. She was looking at him as though she wished she could mentally decapitate him.

Bart patted his shoulder. "Good luck, boss." He said quietly before he disappeared.

He shouldn't feel any resentment against him, he truly shouldn't. But as he saw Chloe's eyes flash dangerously, well he knew he probably shouldn't have had her kidnapped in order to talk some sense into her.

She took a deep breath, seemingly trying to clam herself down. "Why?" She posed the question quietly as her hazel eyes meet his.

Oliver looked at her, really looked. She had always been the grown up in the team, alongside him, and she always dressed the part. The rest of the guys credit him for forming the league, but it was truly her presence that seemed to cement the group. And now years since they had been introduced, she was still as striking as ever. He felt a mild sense of dismay upon seeing her all dolled up in her black dress. So Bart just snatched her from something fancy. No wonder she was furious.

"Typically, if someone wanted to talk to someone else they'd use cellphones. You know, those nifty gadgets that can get people talking to each other even if they're miles and miles apart." Chloe declared acidly as she advanced towards him.

At that point Oliver decided that he would need all the advantage that he could get, so he stood up. He nodded in concession to her point as he met her midway. "I tried that. But somehow you missed all my calls, made some of your own and left me messages that you'd try again." He looked at her meaningfully. "And yet we never seem to be able to actually talk to each other."

Chloe lowered her head at his pointed statement. "I was busy." She murmured in a low tone.

"Apparently." He remarked in the same tone as he remembered the articles he had on her 'hectic' life.

She looked up and has a stubborn expression at his word. "I don't owe you any explanations, Oliver." Her chin jutted out, reinforcing her defiance.

He felt slighted and he knew that his eyes grow cold at her comment. "And I would agree with you, if I hadn't known you were lying to me." He said coolly.

She bit her lower lip and did not blink. "I lied to you?" She looked at him critically.

His gaze fell on her hand and he did not resist the urge to take her hand in his. There were times when the two of them could have been…more. But somehow, something always got in the way, someone more like it. "I could take a lot of things in life." He murmured quietly as he watched their hands intertwine. Despite her irate demeanor she did not resist the contact and he felt better because of that lone fact. "But you, lying to me…" He shook his head.

All the fight seemed to dissipate at his words. "I…I don't know what you're talking about." She gingerly took her hand away and took a few steps back.

"Chloe," He said her name warningly.

"How about you start flinging your accusations of my lies so I can contradict them already?" She was obviously trying to inject some levity in their exchanged.

Oliver folded his arms across his chest and eyed her grimly. "You tried to quit the Daily Planet."

"I'm on sabbatical." She replied dryly.

"You're only on sabbatical because Perry refused to accept your resignation." He countered.

"How I got to be on sabbatical hardly matters. I don't ask you about the nitty-gritty details of how you clean your bow and arrow." She volleyed back tartly.

"It's not the same and you know it." Oliver insisted in a forceful tone. "A resignation means there's more to the story. I thought your decision to go to Gotham was to take a break from this." He gestured towards the penthouse's view of the Metropolis skyline. "It implied that you have every intention of coming back."

"Who said that I don't?" She assumed the same position as he was and eyed him archly.

He looked deep into her eyes and remained quiet.

Chloe sighed as she dropped her arms to her side again. "What is this really about, Oliver?" She asked, her tone tainted with such resignation.

He took a deep breath. "Are you trying to quit the league?" He posed the question cautiously.

* * *

Bruce Wayne stopped having fun half an hour ago.

When he saw Chloe Sullivan disappear out of thin air, initially, he planned on leaving the party and searching for her. But his mind mentally went over what happened on the balcony.

He saw the way she reacted to the intruder. She had placed her hands on her hip and seemed annoyed at the disturbance. Chloe did not seem the least bit afraid and that was what stopped him from spurring into action.

Yet it left him slightly irritated. Not knowing the full situation was grating on his nerves. Still, he plastered on a smile and waited another hour before he finally left the gala. He left the ballroom alone, all of his dates found prospects that were considerably more promising.

He went back to the manor and suited up. Patrolling would just have to keep him busy while he pondered the mystery that was Chloe Sullivan.

And if he happened to be around her neighborhood through the course of the night, well Gotham was his city.

* * *

Oliver was actually afraid of the answer.

He understood the need for normalcy. He knew that sometimes Victor, AC, Dinah and even Bart wondered about how a normal life would be like. He felt it too, but he had none of the powers that they had and so he could actually be normal if he wanted to. But he wasn't designed that way. He needed to be the Green Arrow and he had no way to explain why.

Chloe, her powers hadn't manifested for years. She too had a shot at normal. And the photographs he had of her and Bruce, well it actually felt like she was aiming for that goal. But at the same time he wasn't truly convince that it was the real reason.

Her eyes widened at his question. "Why would you even ask me that?" She asked incredulously.

The way she reacted was enough to set his fear at rest. "It's been a while since you insisted on being part of a mission." He countered. "You haven't exactly been hands on lately."

"I told you, I've been busy." She snapped at him.

"I know." Oliver glared at her for her tone. "You've also been accessing a lot of research, which you still haven't shared with the rest of the group." He folded his arms across his chest and eyed her speculatively.

"I've been working on something." Chloe admitted in a quiet voice.

"And this something, it had to get you within speaking distance with Bruce Wayne?" He gave her a knowing look. There was a reason why she was their watchtower. But it didn't mean that Oliver was incapable of connecting the dots.

"If you think you know what I've been doing, wouldn't you care to share?" Chloe assumed the same position as him and posed the question archly.

Oliver dropped his arms to his side and sighed resignedly. "I know Bruce well enough." He muttered quietly. Bruce was very different back in Excelsior. And now he couldn't help but think that his former schoolmate was playing a part.

Chloe looked at him and right before his eyes she seemed to deflate. "I love this place you know." She gestured to the window. "Metropolis had been my home even when I was not living here." She laughed humorlessly.

He approached her cautiously. He finally stopped right next to her as she stared out the horizon.

"But before I left for Gotham…I just felt like, this couldn't be all there is to it." Chloe looked at him as she finally confessed what she was feeling.

His brows furrowed as he looked at her, slightly puzzled.

Chloe bit her lower lip as she seemed to struggle to explain.

"Chlo'?" He prodded her gently.

"I was glad that I managed to get back into the Planet and everything. I really was. And I'm happy that Clark, well that he is who he is now." Chloe lowered her head, as if she cannot bear to admit what she was about to say. "But it's not the same."

Oliver placed his arm around her shoulders. "Nothing ever stays the same. You and I both know that fully well."

Chloe nodded. "I know that." She replied as she gave him a sad smile. "And I'm okay with that. But this…I don't feel like I don't belong here anymore."

He looked at her worriedly. "Chloe-"

"It's no one's fault." Chloe declared hurriedly, probably prompted by his expression.

"Do you want to go back to overseeing things over at Isis?" He asked eagerly. "Or I can always use your help back in Star City."

She smiled at him, a tad brighter than the other one. "I appreciate it, Ollie. But what I'm doing right now, it feels right."

Oliver ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "Gotham's too dangerous. I guess with Superman running around here, I don't know maybe you're not used to that. But going the opposite direction? How is that right? You don't even have back up." He let go of his hold on her and started pacing.

"Oliver," She said his name quietly. "You don't have to be so worried about me." She stood right in front of him to make him stand still.

He rolled his eyes at her words. "Of course I would worry about you. Do you know how maddening it's been since you moved out there?" He demanded.

Chloe smiled at him, slightly amused and mildly offended. "You know I can take care of myself. You've made sure of that." She raised a hand to cup his cheek to force him to meet her gaze.

He covered her hand with his own. "Not enough to keep me from worrying."

Before they could say another word a tap on the window interrupted them.

Oliver once again rolled his eyes and squeezed Chloe's hand before letting go. He opened the glass doors that led to the balcony and let the interloper in.

"Am I interrupting something?" The man looked at the two of them critically.

Chloe finally flashed her megawatt grin as she rushed to hug the man before them. "No you're not." She rolled her eyes as her hug was received with open arms.

"Don't you think it's a good idea not to go knocking on people's windows wearing that?" Oliver gestured towards what the other man was wearing.

The other occupant of the room looked at his own clothes. "I guess I was too excited to see Chloe again that I forgot to change." He replied sheepishly.

Chloe laughed happily. "That's the farm boy I know and love." She stood on her tiptoe and kissed Clark on the cheek. "And I missed you, too."

Oliver made a face at the blush that graced Clark's face. "So, took you long enough to get here." He commented lightly.

"I was on patrol." Clark replied.

Chloe took a step back at the exchange. "Are you telling me that you were in on the kidnapping thing?" She looked at the two of them through narrowed eyes.

"Now Chloe, haven't we moved beyond that already?" Oliver asked in a placating voice.

"I told you I should have been the one to pick her up." Clark shot him an annoyed look.

"But didn't you say you had to patrol?" Oliver countered.

"Yeah, but I-"

"You both set this up." Chloe interjected before Clark could finish his sentence.

The two men looked at each other and then nodded.

"And you did that because?" She looked at them expectantly.

Once again, Oliver and Clark looked at each other. Oliver also looked at him expectantly. He got the initial wrath of Chloe and she was right to suggest that they both set it up. He was worried about her presence in Gotham and then Clark discovered that she tried to quit the Planet and so they planned an intervention.

"We were worried about you." Clark placed an arm around her waist and guided her towards the couch. "When Perry told me that you were going to resign from the paper…" He shrugged helplessly.

Chloe took a deep breath. "You thought you can second guess my decision and maybe convince me to move back where Superman can save me and Green Arrow can drop by any time he wanted to check up on me and make sure that I am behaving like a good little girl." She looked at them testily.

Both of them remained quiet. Oliver knew better than to say that yes that was exactly what they were doing.

She shook her head in disapproval. "Heroes!" She muttered under her breath. "Look, I'm a grown woman. You guys cannot dictate how I live my life." She declared heatedly.

Clark raised both hands in surrender. "Look Chlo,' we're not trying to tell you how to live your life. We're just," He looked towards Oliver. "We're merely looking out for you. If caring for you is a crime, well then consider us a bunch of criminals." He concluded with such earnestness.

Oliver fought to keep a smile off his face at the tone that Clark was setting. There was no way that Chloe would fall for what he said. But it was a worthy attempt. "No one's trying to tell you what to do." Oliver kept on the offensive. "We know better than that." He shot her a pointed look.

"So what exactly are you two trying to do, then?" She folded her arms across her chest and eyed them critically.

"We were hoping that you'd understand why we had to do this." Oliver met her gaze full on. "Whatever you're doing, it's not worth your life." He concluded passionately.

Clark looked at him curiously. He shook his head imperceptibly, hoping that his friend would get the message not to ask so their attempt to get her to see reason would not get derailed.

"What exactly are you working on in Gotham?" Clark assumed the same position as Chloe, projecting the very same image that had been splattered all over Metropolis.

Chloe was staring at Oliver thoughtfully as she digested his words, but the moment that Clark asked the question; Oliver could tell that her guard went up instantaneously. "Knowledge of what I'm doing is need to know basis and you," She looked at him and then Clark. "Two do not need to know." She finished softly.

Oliver shook his head in consternation. "Chloe, we're not trying to intrude on your privacy. You are free to do as you please, but Gotham isn't safe. I've already gone over the statistics with you before you moved there."

Clark nodded in agreement. "You said you were only going for a limited period. It's been almost two months already. Do you know how hard it is to wonder if you're getting yourself in one danger or another and know that there's nothing I can do about it?" He asked with such feeling.

"I'm not a damsel in distress, Clark. I haven't been for a long while now." Chloe approached him and placed a placating hand on his arm.

Oliver watched the exchange and felt like he should not be there at all.

"I know that." Clark tried to nod convincingly.

He had an idea of what Clark left unsaid. Their quest was to ensure the safety of millions of people. It was no surprise that they would want their loved ones safe as well. He cleared his throat to gain their attention. "You have firsthand knowledge on how if feels to endlessly agonize about the safety of the people we love." Oliver concluded quietly.

A guilty expression crossed Chloe's face. "I didn't mean to worry you guys."

"We know, Chloe." Clark placed his hand on top of her.

"But it doesn't stop us from doing it anyway." Oliver commented wryly.

Chloe gave him a small smile. "I can't leave Gotham." She shook her head sadly. "I know how troubled the city is. And I'm sorry for worrying you guys, but I…I can't leave."

"But why? What are you doing there that's so important?" Clark looked at her searchingly.

Oliver knew the determined look on Chloe face very well. There was no way to convince her not to go back to the city that was earning the reputation as 'no man's land,' and he could not help but get the feeling that whatever she was doing, it was important. Important enough that Chloe was not going to listen to what they say, convincing though they may be.

"Clark." He shook his head at his friend. It was a good try. But Chloe was not going to budge.

Clark nodded in understanding. "We had to try." He said ruefully.

Chloe let out a choked laugh "And I appreciate you're concern. But this, it's just something that I have to do."

"As long as we find out what this important mission is, somewhere along the way." Oliver looked at her hopefully.

"You will." Chloe answered reassuringly. "And it's not something so bad. In fact, I think it's quite good."

* * *

Batman was on patrol.

He had already gone through Suicide Slums. And somehow he ended up right where he was. Right across from Chloe's apartment.

The neighborhood was not the most upscale but it was not as dangerous as the others in the city. He had arrived a few minutes earlier and the apartment was showing no signs of life.

So she wasn't back from wherever the intruder took her. No matter, he could wait. He was a man of infinite patience.

As it turned out, he did not have to wait long.

So she was telling the truth.

He watched as Chloe Sullivan, the woman who offered him a place in a group of 'likeminded individuals,' was just being dropped of by a man who could fly. Well, perhaps not really a man, if his interview on the Daily Planet was any indication.

Bruce stared as Chloe and Superman dropped right into her balcony. He stared as Chloe talked animatedly with the Metropolis hero. He stared as she kissed him on the cheek. He stared as the alien cupped her cheeks with both his hands and gave her an Eskimo kiss. He stared as Chloe laughed and then slapped the man on his arm, finally sending him on his way.

If he had been journalistic he would have captured the moment and sold it to the tabloids. Maybe Chloe's cousin would be less enamored with the hero if she knew that he was smitten with a different woman.

At least he found another grain of information about her.

He was just about to resume his patrol when the next thing he knew Superman was flying across from him. He remained unmoved.

"I have a feeling that you're the reason she's here." The alien from another planet remarked.

He remained still. Bruce had no intention of giving anything away.

"Keep her safe." Superman said in a no-nonsense tone before flying away.

He watched as the man disappeared into the night. He was by no means anyone who would just take orders from someone else. But the words felt less like an order and more like a request. He could tell how much the hero cared for Chloe. To what degree, he was still uncertain.

He just might be able to work with those likeminded individuals.

TBC


	5. Smooth Criminal Or not

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: I am so, so, sorry for taking too long to finally update. I had hoped to have another chapter up before the new year, alas it did not quite work out that way. But anyway, here's the next part of this story. I do think that it's not quite worth the months that passed but unfortunately this is what managed to come out. And I would like to say thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter, or non-chapter. I'm glad you guys liked it and still preferred the original way I went with. And finally, this story is as I mentioned winding down. Only one chapter to go. So far the poll dictates that I start with So Close, so if you guys still want to have your say the poll will be up until this Friday. Afterwhich I will go with the consensus. Thanks for reading you guys and now, on with the story...

**The Recruiter**

Chapter 4

_Smooth criminal…or not_

Bruce watched her as she stepped out of the building. She had spent the better part of the day and night stuck in the infrastructure that housed the Gotham Gazette.

He frowned underneath his cowl as he watched her walk towards the direction of the parking lot. He was positive that she should know better than to walk so leisurely in the dead of the night. In Gotham City. But apparently she didn't.

His eyes narrowed when he saw a male figure approach her. Chloe Sullivan remained oblivious. He prepared himself to come to her rescue. She was probably accustomed to being saved by Superman. Well she just had to make do with him.

The man held out a gun to her face. Bruce stopped in his tracks when Chloe did not react with fear. Instead she was…talking to the man who was about to rob her. His brows furrowed as he watched her. She was clutching her bag protectively and seemingly out of nowhere she took out what was probably a pepper spray. All the while still talking.

It was like watching a movie. He watched as the man's grip on the gun seemingly wavered. He watched as Chloe lowered her pepper spray ever so slightly. And then finally he stared as Chloe tentatively held out her bag to the man before her, as though encouraging him to take it already. The mugger seemed hesitant before he took the bag from her and then took off towards the opposite direction.

That was his cue.

* * *

Chloe lamented the loss of her computer.

She was going to have to blame her bleeding heart this time. The man who stopped her on her way to her car was a newbie. She was sure of it. His hand was shaking as he held the gun and he was stammering when he demanded to give him her purse. A part of her wanted to put him in his place, precisely why she took out her 'knock them dead as a doornail but not really' spray (she's working on a new name, but Bart's label somehow stuck).

And she was totally prepared to use it on him. If only she hadn't listened to what he said, about his kid being in the hospital, about medical bills piling up. If only she hadn't stared him right in the eyes and saw the profound desperation that opened up his existence to a life of crime.

For the first time in a long while, Chloe believed someone she barely knew. Or maybe she wanted to believe him, either way she surrendered her bag to the man and nodded encouragingly. She felt a slightest hint of vindication when the man apologized over and over before he took off.

It was a few moments afterwards that reality hit her. She gave up her laptop. The very same on that she and Victor painstakingly built from scratch. Of course the computer held nothing of significance for the league, she learned that lesson years ago. But it was also the laptop she used to churn out the words for her Pulitzer-nominated article. So yeah, slightly depressed now.

On one hand, she placed a GPS devise on her computer, in the event that it became lost to her. She could track it and pay whoever bought it, if anyone made a habit of buying stolen computers. She was going to have to give whoever it was a good talking to.

On the other, she could buy a new one. This time they could make it even better. She would bet anything that Victor would love the idea. Whenever they talked about technology, well it was a game of one-upmanship between the two of them. And it had been a while since she hung out with Vic on a one-on-one basis. He was one of the many people who did not take kindly to her decision to move to Gotham. Perhaps the new project would go a long way to get him to be less hostile whenever they were done with a mission and she had to go back to Gotham.

She smiled widely as she started her trek to her car. The loss of her laptop stung less now that she had a plan to get a new one.

A loud thud in front of her woke her from her reverie. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the one and only Batman, dark knight of Gotham City. He was holding her stolen bag in his hand and she felt a rush of gratitude mixed with the slightest hint of disappointment.

"Thanks?" She said dryly. Chloe mentally cursed the mask he wore for her inability to gauge his reaction.

"You should know better than to go traipsing in the night in this city." He muttered in his gruff voice that she only had the opportunity to hear once.

"Does it hurt your throat?" She asked sweetly. "Talking like that."

He remained quiet but Chloe had a feeling that he just raised his brow at her question. He held out her bag which she took without comment.

"You're going to have to go to the police station to press charges." He said in a business-like tone, clearly ignoring her inquiry.

She sighed. It was obvious that she should do just as he said, but her encounter with the thug…not a black and white case. The shades of grey had always been the tough part of the job. She nodded resolutely, to persuade the man before her that she was going to do just that.

A long silence settled over them and Chloe was convinced that Batman did not believe her.

"Tomorrow. You know where to find me." He said brusquely and then he raised his hand and shot off into the night.

Chloe watched as he disappeared. "Great exit. A minus." She murmured quietly as she headed for her car, secure with the knowledge that Gotham's hero was watching out for her.

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth opened the door.

He had become quite accustomed to seeing the photograph of the young lady before him.

It had been a few weeks since Master Bruce had revealed the fact that someone discovered his heroic pursuits. And it was intriguing for Alfred, the notion that someone had somehow cracked the mystery of Batman. She had done it without the benefit of working for Wayne Enterprises.

He was a witness to numerous nights of Bruce pacing the cave underneath the manor and looking over file after file about Chloe Sullivan. There was determination in his ward that he hadn't seen in a very long while. It was a combination of amusement and exasperation that he helped Bruce with his research on the young woman.

He came to several conclusions when he read every bit of information about Ms. Sullivan.

She was incredibly driven. Her passion for journalism began at such an early age and though she experienced some set backs she still ended up as the investigative reporter that she was clearly born to be. She was also too smart for her own good. She managed to become quite the thorn on the side for both Lionel Luthor and his son Lex, though recently it was clear that she had given the job of being a nuisance to Luthor to her own cousin, Lois Lane.

But most of all, he learned that the young woman could truly keep a secret. She mentioned that she worked with 'likeminded individuals' but they were unable to pinpoint who precisely those individuals were, until the heralded hero of Metropolis paid Batman a visit. It gave them the information they needed to look into the organization that Chloe Sullivan belonged to.

She was not merely involved with Superman. Her connections also extended to the Green Arrow. The discovery caused Bruce to be slightly…petulant was the only word that Alfred could think of.

He opened the door wider and allowed her entrance. Chloe Sullivan smiled at him brightly.

"Ms. Sullivan, may I take your coat?" He offered in his usual manner.

She shrugged off her coat and handed it to him. "It's nice to finally meet you Mr. Pennyworth." She held out her hand for him to shake.

He took her hand, his deeply ingrained breeding forcing him into action almost automatically. It should not be a shock that she knew exactly who he was. After all she figured out Bruce' deepest secret from afar. He was slightly surprised but infinitely pleased for reasons that escape him. "The honor is mine, Ms. Sullivan." Alfred murmured politely.

"Please call me Chloe." She countered. "I take it that Bruce is expecting me."

He nodded. He watched her as she took in their surroundings. Alfred had a feeling that she was quite accustomed to such opulent décor. She did not seem intimidated by the manor, perhaps because of the presence of the Luthor mansion in Smallville. "If you'll follow me." He said as he led the way.

Bruce had instructed him to take her straight to the underground caves. It would seem that his ward had decided to do away with appearances and finally let Chloe into the secret world of Bruce Wayne completely.

It was the first time in a very long while that Bruce had allowed someone to penetrate the well-built walls that surrounded his being. After Rachel Dawes' death, Bruce still played the part of the playboy billionaire but privately he suffered immensely. Alfred had a front row seat to the misery that Bruce had endured.

Without a doubt, Alfred had a profound affection for the young woman. But he had the opportunity to see beyond the front that Rachel presented to Bruce. Because he was allowed access to her innermost thoughts, Alfred knew very well that Rachel never intended to be the solace that Bruce sought. He did not resent her decision though he thought it best to conceal the truth from his master.

The two of them entered the study and his lips twitched a bit when he saw her look around expectantly, clearly wondering where Bruce was. He approached the piano and tapped a few keys. The secret door that led to the elevator opened and he finally saw an actual reaction from her. Her smile brightened significantly.

"I do believe I am about to be impressed." She stated mischievously.

They both stepped into the elevator and Alfred pressed a red button and they began their descent.

"So Mr. Pennyworth, have you given any thoughts on joining a union?" Chloe asked as she focused all her attention on him.

He raised his brow at the question. "Pardon?"

"I'm the president of the Union of Sidekicks." She said teasingly. "I'm about to retire, so the union is in need of a new president."

For the first time since she arrived Alfred smiled at her. He was unable to give her an answer for the elevator came to a halt and waiting for them, rather impatiently, was Bruce.

Chloe barely spared his master a glance before she stepped out of the elevator and into the cave. She looked around with such curiosity, clearly buzzing with excitement.

"Hello to you to." Bruce remarked archly at the lack of greeting. Alfred could not help but smile once again.

The young woman waved absentmindedly at him as she took in their surroundings.

Alfred watched Bruce as he watched Chloe. Bruce was shaking his head as he fell into step with her.

"I see your manners are somehow no longer intact at the presence of such-"

Chloe held up a hand, interrupting Bruce. "This is just…awesome!" She grinned at the two of them. "The most creative lair I have ever seen."

Alfred fought off the laughter that threatened to burst. Bruce was looking at her with annoyance. It was clear that she was teasing the lord of the manor. And it just gave Alfred the reassurance that he did not know he needed. Bruce was finally letting someone into his life; he was granting Chloe an all-access pass to who he truly was. It worried him at first when the young man informed him of the decision. But now he could rest easy, knowing that Chloe was not going to be another Rachel.

He took a step back as unobtrusively as possible and headed back to the elevator.

"It suits you." He heard her say just as he began his ascent. Alfred could not help but concur, although his agreement stemmed not from the same observation. He just knew that the change in Bruce since Chloe Sullivan entered his life suited him just fine.

* * *

Bruce' attention was detracted from Chloe upon hearing the elevator start up again.

He would not quite phrase it as so, but he was eager to see her. He was barely able to contain himself when his computer beeped, announcing her arrival. Alfred had received strict instructions to lead her straightaway into the underground headquarters.

And now here she was. Bruce focused back on her and saw that she was busy eyeing everything around her. He was slightly annoyed when she referred to his place as a lair; it had such a negative connotation, as though he was some super villain plotting his next criminal act. He folded his arm across his chest and watched her as she took in his…lair.

Chloe was suitably impressed. Granted it was not Fortress of Solitude, but Clark had the benefits of alien technology. Ollie on the other hand was rocking the watchtower. Somehow an underground cave was exactly the perfect match for Bruce and his alter ego. She especially loved the waterfall. "So, shall I start the paperwork for your membership?" She asked when her attention finally fell back to Bruce.

He merely smirked at her. "I haven't said yes yet."

A look of skepticism dawned on her features. "And somehow I'm here, hanging out in your bat-cave. So I'm thinking that an affirmative answer is a forgone conclusion."

Had Bruce been prone to eye rolling, she definitely would have gotten that. "Your remark implies that I do not have the right to ask you questions regarding that group of likeminded individuals before I decide whether it would be a worthwhile endeavor to join you." He said pointedly.

Chloe let out a long-suffering sigh. "So your investigation in all things about me came up bupkiss?" She looked at him with slight disappointment.

"Oh, I came up with a lot of things. My 'investigation' even hit an all time high when the man of steel paid me a visit." Bruce keenly waited for her reaction.

The truth was he barely had sufficient data about her. Sure he managed to dig up some of her earlier works, in high school and during her internship with the Daily Planet. But he was unable to get all of them, some of her articles still had link on the web but majority of them were no longer in existence. It was as if someone had hacked into the websites of the Smallville Torch and the Planet and erased some of the files.

A look of utter annoyance settled on her features. "Let me guess; was it on the night of the gala?" She asked him archly.

Bruce nodded imperceptibly.

"That's why he was so insistent on flying me back." Chloe muttered to herself. "Knew I should have called-" She stopped right before she blurted out Bart's name.

He was watching her avidly. Her ire was no longer directed at him and he already had an idea as to who Superman really was. It was actually not a surprise that the man was able to keep his identity such a secret, without the use of a mask.

"Ask your questions so we can move on to the actual acceptance already." Chloe said just so they could step away from other heroes and their secret identities. She went to the Wayne Manor with the notion that Bruce, aka Batman was going to be a part of the Justice League. But since his disclaimer, well she was not about to divulge the who's who of her boys in case the man refused to be cooperative and join them already.

Bruce smirked slightly. "I would like to know if terrorism is one of the job functions of your group." He remarked casually.

Chloe's narrowed at his words. "Terrorism? She demanded. "Is that really how you want to phrase your question?" She asked him quietly. "Either you know what it is that we really do and you're trying to provoke me or you know what we do but you aren't smart to enough to find out why we do it."

So maybe he was trying to aggravate her. Over the course of his digging into her past, he found that Chloe was within close proximity to a couple of facilities all over the world that end up being dismantled in one way or another. Her position as foreign correspondent for the Daily Planet sent her all over the map. He searched for strange occurrences in the countries that she visited, most of the time the incidents were not really in the country she inhabited, but a country or three away from where she was supposed to be. A little more digging enlightened him to the fact that all of the buildings that mysteriously blew up were somehow connected to Lex Luthor. The man was using satellite companies and was trying particularly hard to keep his name from being associated with the infrastructures that end up being blown up.

"So blowing up buildings actually qualifies as a public service?" He looked at her critically.

Chloe took a fortifying breath. She was mentally talking herself down from exploding at the man in front of her. "First of all, we're not terrorists. Do you have any idea what those buildings housed?" She posed the question with such contempt and gave him no chance to answer. "People, who were being kept against their will and they were being experimented on, like they were a bunch of lab rats just because they are different, just because they were meta-humans. So tell me, wouldn't you burn such a place to the ground?"

Bruce remained quiet. This was what he wanted; he wanted to find out the group's motivation. He knew that the likeminded individuals were guarding their own cities but they also went beyond their borders and blew up buildings, with good reason apparently.

Chloe's hands formed into fists as she continued, her knuckles turning white in her aggravation. "Most of them die." Then she shook her head. "Most of them are murdered, either because they've become too dangerous or the tests being done to them become too much." She finished quietly.

It took a beat before she acknowledged that she was losing her control because of her own personal experience. She knew how it felt like to be locked up in such a facility. She was even quite fortunate that she was not subjected to the same amount of torture that majority of the resident in Black Creek experienced. She knew the deal so she cooperated and she also happened to have an alien AI in her head.

A deep need to share this fact with Bruce overwhelmed her. She was unsure on what his reaction would be, but she could not tamp down her desire to share this secret. "If it hadn't been for the league…"

He leaned forward. He was bordering on a breakthrough. Chloe looked a little hesitant at first and then a look of fierce determination crossed her face.

"I could have been one of those people." She concluded with such vehemence. And then she looked at him defiantly, as though taunting him to react badly to such a revelation.

Bruce to a deep breath and then he nodded. "Luthor should not get away with committing such crimes." He murmured quietly.

Chloe's eyes widened at his statement. So he knew that Lex was behind it all.

"Since he is very capable with eluding justice, justice is brought to him." He looked at her searchingly.

Chloe lowered her gaze. "We don't always target him. But during the early years, before his supposed death we had to." Because of her, because of her mother. "We always made sure that all the people were out of the building before we tear them down." She added. It was part of their code. Not to involve innocent lives and even the not so innocent individuals who participated in Lex' vision.

Bruce nodded again. That was actually the only thing that bothered him about their group. He looked into the backgrounds of Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, The Flash and a couple of others. He knew that they each protected their cities, much like the way he tried to protect Gotham.

A long silence settled over them. Chloe wondered if he was even going to react to her confession to being a meteor-freak.

"Thank you." Bruce said as he crossed the distance between them.

Chloe looked at him with confusion.

"For trusting me enough to tell me about yourself." He took her hand in his.

"The least I could do." She gave him a weak smile. "I hold all the cards, at least now you have an ace. Use it wisely." She advised sagely.

He shook his head. "I will never use it against you, Chloe."

"I know. But if you're going to join us, you would have found out eventually." She countered.

Another long quiet ensued.

Bruce was looking at her with such warmth and it caused her to become nervous. "So where do we stand?" She eyed him curiously. "With the group." She added self-consciously.

"Consider this my tentative acceptance." Bruce smirked at her as he shook the hand that he already held.

Chloe smiled up at him brightly.

"Now how about we talk about the fact that you did not bother to press charges against the man who snatched your bag last night. And that you even went so far as to offer him financial assistance." Bruce finally let go of her hand and folded his arms across his chest as he waited for her answer.

Her smile dimmed significantly as she thought of a way to answer. She had no idea how he found out that she went against his instructions and was going to help the man look for a job (hopefully he had no idea that she had convinced Ollie to donate some funds for the hospital that the man's child happened to be a patient in).

A part of her was already thinking that with such abilities, he was truly going to be an asset to the league.

TBC


	6. All good things

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: And finally. Here's the last chapter of this story. It was difficult to write, for reasons which are self-explanatory once you've read the chapter. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. THANK YOU dear readers for reading this entire fic. I appreciate your reviews and you guys rock!!! Hope you guys will like the ending, because this is the end. And I am now moving on to my next fic, So Close, the Chloe/Ollie sequel of When Ollie met Chloe, which you guys voted for (I'll probably be inspired since SV is actually going there). Watch out for it soon. Now that I am done with the blatant self-promotion, on with the story...

**The Recruiter**

Chapter 5

_All good things…can have less than stellar beginnings_

Chloe leaned forward as she clicked her mouse. Then she sat back and smiled.

The new program that she acquired guaranteed that the directions would be sent. Her smile grew as she thought of how the people who would get her directions, only receiving them bit by bit, ensuring that none of them would have the advantage of researching the meeting place.

She giggled at the frustration that her boys would experience once they found out how she was giving them their 'driving directions.' She self-consciously looked up and was glad to see that there were barely a handful of reporters in the bullpen of the Gazette. Most of them were still out hunting for their stories.

Oliver was sure to be irritated; he liked to know what he was walking into. Clark would object merely out of habit, he trusted Chloe. He knew that she would never let him and the rest of the team walk into a trap. But he would still voice his disapproval because he was Clark and she knew just how he would feel. The rest of the group wouldn't feel the same frustration, mostly because they trusted her enough to know that she always had a reason for every action she made. Bruce, she was quite certain, would react almost the exact same way that Ollie would.

Chloe paused as she realized that she just thought of Bruce as one of her boys. She then shrugged when she received confirmation that her instructions were streaming into the team's communicators. She looked at the clock on her desk and discovered that she had an hour before her ride came to pick her up. She refocused her attention on the article that she was writing, this time for the Planet.

* * *

The Green Arrow walked in the shadows.

He finally got the last piece of the directions and he arrived at a dubious-looking warehouse. A part of him simply did not understand the need for such a cloak and dagger approach to the league's meeting. They usually just met up at Chloe's watchtower in Metropolis or his in Star City.

Oliver was quite certain that this particular meeting had plenty to do with her move to Gotham and definitely had something to do with Gotham's resident hero, Batman.

He shook his head as he eyed the entrance he would take, like he would actually walk through the regular entryway. Chloe knew him better than that.

* * *

Batman let his eyes wander around his surroundings.

The last of the instructions that he received led him to this place. The warehouse stood in a very isolated area. Not a vehicle was around. It appeared completely deserted and there was no way to check if the inside was the same.

Someone had taken a lot of precautions. He had no doubt that it was Chloe. Bruce had expressed in not so many words that he had no intention of just walking into the meeting with her group without his mask and she insisted that it was a casual affair, no need for the formalities of their costumes.

Still, Bruce arrived in all his Batman glory. He had no confirmation of the identities of the individuals of the group and he was not about to give them any hint about his.

His eyes fell on the rooftop of the warehouse and decided that conventional entryways just weren't his thing.

* * *

Superman finally got the last message.

He supersped to the location and let himself hover a bit when he reached his destination. Clark activated his x-ray vision and found that the place was lined with lead. He rolled his eyes as he dropped down to the ground. Chloe and her precautions.

It was bad enough that he got an earful for appearing before the Batman without her say so, now she was using his weaknesses against him. Apparently he had given the other hero too much chance to find out who he was. Chloe even went so far as to say that the man probably knew who he was already despite the fact that she had taken a lot of safety measures to ensure that the link between them was so convoluted that no one would be able to make the connection.

He had a feeling that she was going all out to protect the secret identity of Batman. He promised her that he hadn't peeked into the man's cowl when the two of them met. And he could honestly say that it was more out of respect for her rather than the other man.

Clark took a deep breath before he advanced towards the entrance doors. He pulled it open effortlessly and saw that despite the fact that the warehouse did not exhibit the presence of light, it was pretty well-lit from the inside.

He walked in and wondered if anyone else was there already.

* * *

Oliver rolled his eyes in mild amusement when he saw Boyscout just stroll into the building without hesitation. He entered through the back alley and here was Clark, walking into the warehouse, not a care in the world.

Of course, he knew that Clark was just able to do such thing because he was practically invincible, save for a few weaknesses to rocks. But he knew that it mostly had something to do with the fact that he trusted Chloe so completely that he could afford to walk into a situation that she arranged with not a care in the world.

It was not a slight against Chloe that he preferred to act the way he normally did. He trusted her too. Somehow, she became the most trusted person in the league, as far as he was concerned. He knew that everyone else in the team had the same amount of faith that he had in her.

He must admit that it irritated him a bit that she had given the information about this meeting so sparsely. But then again he knew that she was probably extending the same amount of respect that she had for every other member of the team to the Batman.

He stepped out of the shadows when he saw that Clark did not even bother to check his surroundings with his x-ray vision.

"Boyscout." He said quietly in his voice-modulator voice.

A frown formed on Clark's face. "Green Arrow Bandit." He retorted.

Clark was unable to see the expression in Ollie's face when he used the old moniker; he knew that it annoyed Oliver endlessly, the bandit part of his alter ego's name. Lois' eventually dropping of the word bandit pleased him. But it was still a way to annoy the man when he was being difficult.

"Anyone else around here?" Oliver asked curtly.

Clark shrugged. "Lead-lined."

Oliver smirked. "Of course she did." He shook his head. "Wonder who else is here."

* * *

Bruce watched the scene unfold before him.

The Green Arrow and Superman looked like they were talking about the weather. It was surreal. He heard the two toss out certain words that were clearly an inside joke. He watched the two interact and felt a hint of envy. Their interaction actually suggested a deep friendship despite the back and forth that they were engaged in.

He shook his head, no he wasn't truly envious. He was simply not used to seeing other heroes interact the way that the two were. In actuality he had a very limited interaction with other people in their line of work so it was just illuminating to see the others do just that.

Before he could dwell on anything further, the warehouse doors opened once again and revealed two men, dressed in street clothes.

The first man was a tall blonde man, who clearly exuded a surfer dude complex. The other was an African-American man, who was slightly shorter. He seemed the more serious of the two and they came to a stop when they saw the two other occupants.

* * *

"I thought this was strictly casual, dude." Arthur Curry looked at Oliver and then at Clark. They very rarely met up in costume, unless there was a mission (which Chloe assured them there wouldn't be), so it was a little bizarre to see the other two in their hero outfits.

Green Arrow was the first to reply. "The way that the directions were sent hardly constitutes for a casual night."

The two newcomers looked at him incredulously.

"What are you talking about, man?" Victor's brows furrowed as he eyed his two other friends

"Watchtower was not really forthcoming with the details." Superman added gravely.

The other two just shook their heads. "Tower, gave us the directions a few days ago." They said in unison.

Victor shook his head smilingly. "She totally got your numbers." He murmured quietly.

"Dude, you two better have extra clothes with you." AC piped in. "She's not going to be happy if she saw you two."

Before they could respond a blur appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Bart and Chloe appeared. Bart was still in his Flash costume while Chloe was wearing her typical clothes. She had to push him off slightly because as per usual he was reluctant to let her go.

"Hey all." Bart greeted everyone.

Chloe looked at Oliver and then at Clark. Her two friends were ever predictable, you tell them to keep it casual and they do the exact opposite. Her gaze finally turned back to Bart. "You owe me twenty bucks." She then stepped away from the group and let her eyes wander around the warehouse. She checked the heat signatures in the warehouse before she and Bart left the Gazette and she knew that Bruce was already there.

Bart glared at Oliver and Clark. "You guys just cost me some dinero!"

"You know better than to bet against her." Victor rolled his eyes at Bart's dramatics.

AC laughed, fished out a twenty from his pocket and handed it to Victor. "And I should know better than to bet on you." He told the youngest of the group.

Oliver looked on disapprovingly as he watched money change hands. Of course none of them could see his disapproval because his face was still shrouded by his hood. He took a deep breath as he acknowledged the fact that they probably wouldn't care anyway.

"I just came back from patrolling." Clark murmured indignantly.

No one paid him any attention, because Dinah Lance, aka Black Canary, stepped into the building as well.

Dinah was also out of her hero ensemble. She eyed everyone with mild amusement before she searched the room for Chloe. The other woman mentioned that this particular meeting was devoted to inducting a new member. Her brows furrowed when she didn't see her and the new member. She headed for the group and grinned when Bart proceeded to throw his usual set of compliments her way.

* * *

Bruce watched them interact.

He was quite unsure what to expect when he finally met the members of the Justice League. But he had no idea it would be so…relaxed, as though they were just a normal group of friends, leather and tights aside.

Chloe suddenly appeared in front of him. He remained stoic but he was actually a little surprised that she managed to catch him off-guard, yet again.

"Hey!" She said brightly.

His brow lifted at her greeting. Apparently casual was the theme of the night. "Chloe." He nodded imperceptibly.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Honestly, you're as stubborn as the two of them." She gestured towards the general direction of the group. "Are you planning to step out of the shadows some time tonight?" She posed the question with genuine amusement in her eyes.

"After you." Bruce replied lowly.

"Oh you're such a gentleman. I think I'm going to swoon." She said teasingly. Chloe only shook her head when he gave no reaction.

The two of them walked side by side, to where the rest were. "Just relax." Chloe muttered quietly.

"Is that an order?" Bruce asked, his lips twitched in mild amusement.

"I don't mean you." Chloe stopped walking and turned to him. "I have to confess, you're my first recruit. Green Arrow is the one who usually brings in new people to the group." She tucked her hair behind her ear impatiently as she said the words.

Bruce smiled at her apparent nervousness and the two of them kept walking. He was, for some reason, decidedly pleased with what she just said.

* * *

Bart was mid-sentence when he just stopped.

It was the definition of cool. He watched as Chloe and…Batman walked as though in slow motion towards them. He saw a smile playing on the man's face, which was barely visible but it was there and he felt a flash of annoyance. It was clear that he had another competition.

Victor saw them coming. Chloe got the Batman to meet with them. That was a little cool. He was not opposed to having an opportunity to ask the man about his car. He just might be able to talk Oliver into investing in a similar technology.

AC tried to catch Victor's eye. The two of them simply enjoyed teasing Bart endlessly. But when he saw that his friend was also stunned into silence, well of course he had to turn and look as well. The Batman. Enough said.

Dinah watched the scene unfold with a high degree of enjoyment. She and Chloe were the only females in the group and it made sense that they would confide in each other. The two of them were pretty close. She was the first person that Chloe sought with her idea on getting Batman to join them. It was at that moment that Dinah knew that Chloe found out who the guy was. And because the two of them were pretty much in the same line of work, she also found out his identity. It was going to be an interesting night.

Oliver smirked when he Bart became speechless for some reason. The fastest man alive had a lot of moments like this, it typically involved Chloe. He frowned when he realized that Chloe just suddenly disappeared. His eyes landed on a sight that he knew was coming the moment she said that she could not leave Gotham.

He watched the two of them. His eyes narrowed when they stopped to exchange a few words. When they continued, he saw a smile playing on Batman's face. Oliver did not like it one bit.

Clark's abilities were a little off because of the fact that Chloe had placed lead all over the place. He could not even use his superhearing, which he tried to activate when Chloe walked away from them. He couldn't use his x-ray vision to check where she was. So he wasn't really pleased at the turn of events. Add the fact that she was disappointed in him (and Oliver) for not being able to follow her strictly casual rule for the night. The rest of the guys probably missed it. But he knew it was there when her gaze landed on him.

He wasn't really surprised to see her walking with Batman, as though it was a normal thing for her to do. And for Chloe it was, walking around with heroes was so ingrained in her that he should have known that she would eventually seek them out and ask them to be part of the bigger picture. Clark took a deep breath and reminded himself to keep an open mind.

Before anyone had any chance to react, the last member of the Justice League finally made an appearance.

"J-…Martian Manhunter!" Chloe exclaimed she and Bruce joined the group. "Nice of you to finally grace us with your presence."

He too was in his costume. J'onn J'onzz was just out patrolling before the Wonder twins took over for him just so he could come to the secret meeting of the original members of the league. He left the siblings with a stern warning not to do any damage to the city and to strictly stick to protecting it.

He was not at all surprised at the greeting that Chloe gave him. When she had asked his assistance in her current endeavor, well he was slightly uncomfortable. She usually reserved such requests to Kal-el. Nonetheless, he willingly assisted her and when she telepathically called to him late this afternoon about her plans coming to fruition and that he definitely had to be there, who was he to deny her invitation?

J'onn retained his impenetrable mask but he flashed a vision of him giving her a reassuring look. Over the years he and the journalist had developed a rapport that had yet to be replicated with anyone else, his relationship with Kal-el notwithstanding. He knew that she was feeling slightly nervous. He still had no clue as to why she went through such extraordinary lengths for tonight's meeting, he credited her for being able to keep him from finding out. He was after all a telepath.

* * *

Chloe relaxed at the message that she received from J'onn. She smiled at everyone. "So guys, unless any of you have been living under a rock, which I know for a fact that none of you do, you know who this is." She gestured towards the man beside her.

None of her compatriots spoke. She released an exasperated sigh; the group was presenting a united front. Chloe was quite certain that the rest of the team was waiting for Oliver's reaction.

"Now I'm aware that it's completely unorthodox for me to be the one to…invite a new member to the group." She began. "Usually it's you," She nodded towards Oliver.

Oliver nodded almost imperceptibly. The rest of the team remained quiet and Chloe felt an overwhelming urge to stamp her foot and scream at them. She was nervous for some inexplicable reason and none of her friends seemed inclined to make things any easier for her.

Clark was about to speak when Bart sped over to Chloe's side.

"Chloelicious! You got Batman!" He said with enthusiasm. He eyed the man in black. "Big fan of your work!" He held out his hand to Gotham's hero.

Bruce stared at the hand in front of him before he clasped it with his.

AC and Victor exchanged looks. They both seemed unable to believe that the youngest of the group just blurted out the words that he just did.

"I'm Bart Allen, by the way." Bart continued as he shook the man's hand. "I also go by Flash." He pointed to the yellow lightning on his chest.

Bruce nodded. He was aware of Keystone City's self-appointed guardian. He did not expect him to act like a kid though.

AC stepped forward and followed Bart's lead. "Arthur Curry. So how exactly did she convince you to be part of the team?" He asked with a wide grin as he nodded in Chloe's direction.

"This why you always lose your money." Victor remarked as he took his turn shaking the hand of their new member. "He ends up betting against her." He said by explanation. "He should know by now that Chloe just has to flash her megawatt smile and she'd get anything she asked from us."

Bruce' lip twitched slightly when he heard the woman beside him scoff, while Arthur Curry looked completely indignant.

"If all it took was a 'megawatt smile' to get what I want, how come you still won't give me certain computer programs?" Chloe eyed Victor archly.

"And the only reason why I lose all the time is because you always manage to call dibs." AC retorted dryly.

Victor just rolled his eyes. He and AC then stepped back to allow Dinah to introduce herself to Batman.

"Dinah Lance." She said with her hand held out.

Bruce accepted the handshake and tried to connect the dots. Only one other female figured prominently in his investigation. He wondered if the brunette in front of him was the Black Canary.

Chloe smiled warmly at her friend. "I thought you wouldn't be able to make."

Dinah shrugged. "This was just too good to miss. His face when he was going on about the directions," She gestured towards the Green Arrow. "it was enough of a tease to get me to come here." She grinned.

Clark shook his head when he heard Dinah. He approached the three, at the corner of his eye he saw Oliver still being obstinately quiet and all alone. Bart, Victor and AC seemed to have disappeared. J'onn materialized beside him and the two of them advanced towards Chloe and her recruit.

"You are uncertain of this man." J'onn declared quietly.

Clark nodded. "She went through such lengths."

"Perhaps, she knows that he would be essential to our mission." He replied simply.

Clark still looked unconvinced when they reached Chloe.

Dinah saw the two men approach. Her gaze flickered towards Oliver and she rolled her eyes. "Be nice, Scout." She murmured under her breath. Clark's scowl left much to be desired. She knew Chloe was still uncertain about the new role she just undertook. It would be a shame if she gave it up because the boys, i.e. Ollie and Clark, were not comfortable with her mingling with other gorgeous billionaires. She shook her head as she left the group and joined the others who disappeared, probably to avoid the fireworks.

Chloe's eyes brightened significantly when she saw Clark and J'onn. "Hey guys, nice of you to join us!"

J'onn nodded. He was about to introduce himself when Chloe interjected.

"This is Martian Manhunter. He used to be from Metropolis but he moved to Chicago a few years back. And now he's guarding that city, which is good since Metropolis has Superman!" Chloe grinned at Clark. "And I believe that the two of you met already. Since he seems completely incapable of leaving me to my own devices."

They were strangers, pure and simple. But for a split second Bruce commiserated with the two men he did not know at all. And of course it was prompted by Chloe. She was clearly rambling because of nerves.

Clark finally smiled at his best friend. She was talking a mile a minute. He knew then that despite the woman she has become, she still needed him to be on her side. "Clark Kent." He introduced himself to Batman.

Chloe's impossibly bright smile shined even more. Clark knew that he was forgiven for wearing his hero costume. He returned her smile with one of his own.

There were moments when J'onn actually wondered what kind of power Chloe wielded over Kal-el. But then he knew if he just saw Chloe beam the way that she was beaming at the two of them, well he knew the answer. "J'onn J'onzz." He shook Batman's hand after Clark.

"Looking forward to working with you." Clark found himself saying with sincerity.

J'onn's brow rose significantly. Chloe saw his reaction, she knew instantly that Clark was anything but eager to work with Bruce and she couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Oliver watched them interact.

He watched Chloe laugh and then Clark as he tried to say something in between her laughter.

He had a feeling that this was the moment that Chloe had hoped for when she announced that she was going to Gotham.

Oliver knew he was not a mind reader. But he never thought that Chloe would take such a profound interest in recruiting members for the league. His discovery of other individuals who possessed otherworldly gifts was actually happenstance. He never had to actively seek them out. And he most certainly did not move his entire life in order to pursue a hero.

With a determined stride, he finally made his way over to them.

J'onn saw him advance. "I'm going to get some cookies, before Bart finishes them." He said as he placed a gentle hand on Chloe's arm in warning of Oliver's approach.

Oliver heard J'onn's statement and he turned to look at Chloe.

"I told you guys this was a casual affair." Chloe answered to his unspoken question. "Don't worry J'onn, I told Bart he would have to replace the Oreos if he ate any before you could." She shot the Martian a reassuring smile before he disappeared from their view.

A long silence settled over the four who were left.

"Bruce." Oliver said the name, finally breaking the quiet.

"Oliver." Bruce nodded in reply.

Clark simply looked confused at the sudden turn of events.

Chloe shook her head. "I knew you two knew each other." She remarked dryly.

Oliver lowered his hood and took off his shades. "We know each other alright."

Bruce hesitated for a beat before he too took off his cowl.

"How exactly do you two know each other?" Clark asked with slight bewilderment. "You never mentioned anything." He shot Oliver a slightly accusing look.

"It's all part of being in the same club." Chloe gave Clark a meaningful look. "A club that neither of us have any chance of belonging to, unless we manage to hit the lottery and then invest oh so wisely."

Clark shook his head. That was half of the explanation.

"And then they both have a few manufacturers in common." Chloe added.

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd know that, Sidekick."

"Of course." Chloe chirped cheekily.

Clark also rolled his eyes at the exchange.

"It was not hard to figure out." Bruce finally contributed to the conversation. "Oliver had always been fascinated with arrows and not a day went by that he did not were his signature color."

"And yet you took a completely different route, Bruce." Oliver retorted with a slight smirk.

Clark turned to look at Bruce with such curiosity.

"I seem to recall you having such an aversion to bats." Oliver concluded.

"That's not nice." Chloe said in a reprimanding tone.

"I got over it." Bruce replied curtly.

Another silence settled over them. Before the two broke out in smirks and shook each other's hand.

Clark moved over to Chloe's side. "Guess he would have joined eventually." He remarked wryly.

Chloe tilted her head to the side and eyed her friend speculatively.

Oliver shook his head in turn. "He never went for it before. Should have known that you would say yes to her." He nodded towards Chloe.

Bruce held up a hand. "First of all, you never asked. Second, she did." He countered. "And she stated her case pretty well."

"So, are you guys done yet?" Bart appeared out of nowhere and looked at all of them impatiently.

"The guys won't let you eat yet?" Chloe looked at him sympathetically.

"They barricaded the table, Chloelicious." He complained mournfully. "MM is fast."

Chloe patted his hand comfortingly and hooked her arm through his as they went further into the warehouse.

Clark, Oliver and Bruce watched as Bart wink at them mischievously before they disappeared from view.

"Chloelicious?" Bruce asked, slightly disbelieving.

"Don't ask." Clark replied as they too made their way to the rest of the league.

* * *

Chloe's eyes wandered from one screen to another. A cup of coffee materialized right next to her. She smiled gratefully. "Thanks Alfred."

"You're welcome, Ms. Sullivan." Alfred replied as he cut her a piece of cake.

She refocused her attention on the large screen before her. "Cyborg, I need your input on cracking a code for Black Canary, she needs it to break into enemy territory. Stand by Impulse, Martian Manhunter requires your assistance. He's sending me his coordinates."

Her concentration shifted to the screen on the bottom. "Batman, bad guys to your right. Boyscout, there's another Joker minion about twenty yards from your location and he's the nearest one to the cell. Batman is currently occupied with three; no make that four bad guys."

She finally received the password for Canary and sent them promptly. "Arrow, Speedy has everything under control in Star City. We need you in Metropolis."

"Tower, what's happening in my city?" Clark interjected just as he wrapped a light pole around the man who was trying to bust the Joker out of Arkham Asylum.

"Nothing. Criminal activity is at minimum. Just need a guardian to keep small time crooks out of trouble." Chloe said mildly.

"Good to know I'm the understudy." Oliver retorted sardonically. He was already halfway to Metropolis; he already decided to patrol the city when Chloe called Superman for an assist in Gotham.

"Oh, you know you love the Big Apricot as much as I do." Chloe countered. "Batman, you're good to go. Gotham PD is on their way. Time to enact your smooth exit."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "Got to secure the location." He said in Batman voice.

"Boyscout x-ray the surroundings." Chloe switched the screen into heat signature mode. "Prisoners are secure. Joker, also secure. And Gotham PD is finally making an appearance. You got to go."

"I'll fly low to make sure that everything's okay." Superman said reassuringly.

"Head back to base too, Superman." Chloe said just as she received the coordinates from J'onn. "Impulse, I'm sending MM's location to you right now."

"Guess your right at home there." Oliver commented offhandedly.

Chloe laughed. "Is that jealousy I detect?"

"Hardly." Oliver replied in his most businesslike tone.

"If I were in Star City I'd be sitting in your watchtower. In Metropolis, I'd be at my own tower. But I'm in Gotham, so I'm in the Batcave." She said simply.

"Don't call it that." Batman grouched. He drove right into the waterfall and skidded to a stop.

"That's still too cool." Chloe said with such delight as she watched Bruce drive with such expertise. "Don't be such a wet blanket Batman."

"Okay, I'm out. Patrolling for the next few hours. Radio silence in the meantime." Green Arrow said before bowing out of the conversation. "By the way, lunch tomorrow Sidekick. Arrow out."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Leave no room for an answer, great leader." She muttered under her breath.

She saw on the screen that Canary successfully broke into the building she was after. Impulse finally reached Europe and was already helping J'onn with his mission. She bit her lip with slight worry, J'onn was about to go deep under cover in order to topple the crime cartel, Vulture. "Turning over the reigns to Cyborg. Keep my watchtower in order." She reminded her friend.

"I'm not Impulse." Victor retorted.

"Hey!" Bart said in indignation.

Chloe laughed and shook her head. "Tower out."

"You're heading to Metropolis." Bruce said the words but he was clearly asking. Alfred reached for the cowl he had removed and then his cape.

Chloe nodded as she took a sip of her coffee.

"You ready Chloe?" Clark asked as he appeared in his usual speed.

She smiled at him. "How about you get a head start? I drove over."

Clark nodded and disappeared in a blink of an eye, as usual.

Alfred could sense a serious conversation was about to ensue between his ward and Chloe, so he made his retreat to give the two some privacy.

"Thanks for letting me use the…cave for tonight." Chloe gave him a grateful smile.

Bruce nodded as he took of his utility belt. "You're welcome to it anytime." He said curtly.

"And you better know that I'm taking you up on that whenever I'm back here." Chloe murmured as she picked up a bat-shaped boomerang.

"Are you going somewhere?" Bruce finally asked after a long pause.

Chloe nodded. "I'm going to DC. I got to go see about a girl." She said jokingly.

Bruce remained quiet.

"So, I guess I better get going. Clark's going to have a conniption if I make him suffer through packing all my stuff on his own." Chloe moved to get her purse.

He watched as Chloe was about to leave. "Chloe." Bruce called out to her before she reached the elevator.

Chloe stopped and hesitated before facing him. She looked at him expectantly.

"Thank you." Bruce uttered the words with such sincerity.

"You're welcome." She replied.

Bruce advanced towards her and stopped when they were a mere feet away from each other. "Is this it then?" He took her hand in his.

Both of them knew exactly what he was talking about.

Chloe smiled slightly. "We both know that it isn't. This chapter has just begun." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him chastely on the lips. And together, the two of them boarded the elevator.

THE END

AN2: And that's how I ended it. Sorry for that. Feels incomplete? Maybe I am leaving myself room for a follow-up? Maybe. Cookies for anyone who can guess who Chloe was talking about, 'I got to go see about a girl.' Thanks for reading!


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